Lady Stardust
by RubyGloom7
Summary: The first time it started with a wish; a simple, selfish plead to be reliefed from unfair responsabilities. The second time started too with a wish. This time for reasons lost to oblivion...
1. The Ghost of You(Haunts Me to This Day)

**The Ghost of You**

_(Haunts Me to This_ _Day)_

* * *

One evening, after one too many decades of fruitless testing, Jareth - one and only Goblin King - began to lose hope. Numerous failures from the many Princesses he'd summoned from all lands known, and some very hidden he'd discovered while at it, were making him lose hope. No one had been able to outsmart his Labyrinth. Many were lost to his crystals' magic too and yes, that had caused a great deal of awkwardness between Kingdoms; at least those years had been good ones for Executioners. Rough times for Messengers, though.

At one point Jareth really started to wonder why foreign Kingdoms were so eager to send their Royalty to a quest they were certain to never return from. It's not like Jareth - King and all - could _force_ them into the Labyrinth. But he put that thought aside quickly. Of course they'd all want in on a wager when, if victorious, they could form an alliance with one of the greatest and most prosper Kingdoms bia marriage. That was the prize.

However, it was still surprising how others had yet to learn the lesson. Only one person had successfully crossed the ever-changing trap and that had been no ordinary person, for her mortality did not matter, only that special and unparalleled _something _that made her the most admirable and fine thing any man could posses.

Sarah.

She'd been gone now for a suffered total of one hundred years. One hundred years that same evening.

She was still out there. _Somewhere_. Time advanced in such a considerably different way in both heir worlds; the Above and Underground. If Jareth's math was correct, what for him had been a hundred years, for Sarah it had been barely over three hundred and sixty five days. While his bittersweet memories of her became more bitter than sweet through time, Sarah remained in the shadows; hiding, evasive of his magic's reach and unaware of the effect her departure had on him.

How resentful he'd become, how low he'd fallen for the lovely Lady. That is why he initiated the stupid summoning of Princesses in the first place; because this obsession of his was so unseemly. _Unacceptable_.

Bitter or not though, Jareth still remembered every moment Sarah spent in his Kingdom. Every single detail etched to memory, every sound and scent triggering confusing thoughts he was not accustomed to. Were her smiles sincere? Her frustration a clever distraction? Jareth couldn't be sure, but he was starting to suspect that - accurate as his memory was - the more he pondered on these ideas, the more twisted their meaning turned. After all, even if he knew what Sarah's fantasy consisted of, he couldn't read her mind. If she ever considered what he offered, with a trully open heart, Jareth would never know.

All day the King had refused to be inconvenienced with inane 'Royal Matters' his Council could very well deal with on their own. Instead he chose to brood inside his own chambers until he realized how much lower he'd stoop if he remained locked up. As if he had something to hide from.

Begrudgingly he stomped with an even more intense that usual semblance of authority through the mildly dark passages of his castle; his favorite staff tightly clenched in his hand. He entered a spacious room with the doors flying violently to let him in; Jareth's face grew darker at seeing the empty space.

_He should have known._

It was downright inconceivable, Jareth groused inwardly. Inconceivable the fact that he could never leave his Subjects alone because they would undoubtedly ignore their chores, and inconceivable the thought of how his brooding and pride made _him_ neglect his own responsibilities as Ruler.

''Damn it!'' He hissed, kicking a misplaced bucket in the middle of the room.

It was all her fault. How dare she? What ever could have crossed her mind to reject him? He could not and would not know. And feeling impotent did not sit well with the Goblin King.

He sighed. He couldn't conjure her image through his crystals' powers; not unless she called or somebody else wished her away. Jareth couldn't hop between realms because a barrier separated them and it only opened a breach with the correct words. A wish. The Goblin Kingdom was a receptor, not in any positions to make demands at the universe. In a way, the land was trapped.

With a tighter grip on the staff, Jareth swung it with a forceful curve at the pale curtains covering the large window to his left, making them flutter away. It was already past dusk. It had been a long evening indeed. Leaning against the window Jareth tried to enjoy the cooling air refreshing his lungs, acting as a balm over the sting in his chest when he wondered just how many more centuries like this were ahead.

To say that the Goblin King didn't like to feel frustrated would be and understatement and would earn you a well-deserved evening in the Bog of Eternal Stench. Some unfortunate citizens had learned this the hard way. Now forever they remained with a subtle but still perceptible scent that distinguished them as those who'd dared disturb the King. That's the reason why in that particular evening, one of Jareth's subjects - very young still, very afraid of his King like wise youngsters should - approached him with a nervous pair of hands twisting and tearing at a _cloth_ napkin hastily stolen from the kitchen he worked at.

Jareth certainly didn't have the time or _patience_ to be dealing with the new help, having his temper flaring once more at the sight of the stumbling youth. However he could still acknowledge the young goblin's courage - though, his appearance was less than bravery - for coming near him when his aura reflected just what he thought of being inconvenienced. Whatever it was the goblin needed, it better be urgent.

''Y-your Majesty...'' The youngster bowed deeply and awkwardly. ''I-i know you wish to be left alone... but, there's...''

''Spit it!'' Jareth demanded, about to turn a certain someone into a tomato.

With a yelp, the goblin stood straight and spoke in a most loud manner, so as to compensate his shyness. ''Sir! There's an uproar in the Labyrinth! Citizens come into the castle, afraid and with allegations that there is a strange creature lurking about!''

Jareth sighed. A trespasser? Very well, he'd at least have a rightful excuse to turn a living being into something hideous or darkly hilarious.

Looking again at the shaky goblin, Jareth stood to make him accompany him to where this supposed creature had been encountered.

''What is your name?''

''M-my name, Your Majesty?'' The young goblin stuttered.

''Yes, tell your King what your name is.''

''It is Frodrid, my King. At your service!'' He bowed once more.

''Very well, tell me now, Frodrid, where do my citizens claim to have seen the terrific creature?''

* * *

Terrific indeed was the creature, but it was no stranger to Jareth. And what could be described as terrific only referred to her intense beauty. Behind a wall from the Labyrinth, a wary head poked; her shimmering eyes bright with fear and curiosity for the goblins carrying sharp objects; should the need to defend themselves arose. But Jareth commanded them to back away, let him get closer to affirm his suspicions. He tentatively reached forward, his hope swelling.

''Sarah...?'' He called, his voice low and soft.

The girl looked uncertain but still stepped from behind the wall, calmed by the velvety voice of the man in front. Jareth noticed how she looked very different. She wasn't wearing jeans like the time before. A fragile looking dress of silk wrapped her lithe form, her soft brown hair cascaded gracefully over her shoulders, surpassing her arms' length. There were also thin silver lines underlining her eyes. It wasn't makeup. It seemed as though her skin was naturally that way; pretty similar to Jareth's own marks, only paler and they _glowed_.

Jareth didn't mind how those same lines accentuated her already lovely gaze. In fact, her look was even more bewitching. What concerned Jareth now was the _how_ she'd gotten them. She'd have to posses magical affinity, somehow...

Then she spoke, timid and unsure. ''You know me?''

''Sarah-'' He didn't understand her question. It _was_ her but... had she forgotten?

''Who's Sarah?'' She questioned. ''Is that _my_ name?'' She began to look anxious. ''Oh,please! Please sir! You have to tell me. I don't know where i am, or what my name even is!''

Bewildered, Jareth could only stand there, staring into nothingness. His Sarah... She'd forgotten everything, even about herself. In that moment, another - this time really strange - creature decided to intrude, confident as he called:

''Lady Stardust! _There_ you are!''

The goblin crowd stared. The moldy eyes sticking from out the wall stared. Even Jareth looked taken aback by the noisy fellow with the overly wide sized eyes. It was hard to tear one's eyes away too when the strange _flying _creature wore a flashy, regal-looking uniform. Too much color for someone barely over 3 inches tall.

''My Lady!'' The stranger kept on rambling, outraged as he approached Sarah carrying a white riding hood with a fine work of silver embroidery. Sarah hugged the fabric to herself uncertainly as it was draped over her shoulders and suddenly, the creature emitted a _shrill_ cry when landing eyes on Jareth and company. Jareth almost grimaced, while Sarah backed away, startled.

''Goblin King! You- you're the Goblin King!'' The flying creature sharply pointed straight to Jareth's face unabashedly.

The King's only response was to flash that razor grin of his; sparkly pointed teeth and all. Clearly his reputation was well-merited and approved.

''You know who i am,'' Jareth began, subtly moving closer to Sarah's side. But i do not recall receiving your name.'' He finished with a reproving glare.

Something in the flying creature's head seemed to click, as he twitched an eyebrow and withdrew his toothpick-sized blade.

''The name is Ziggy!'' He proclaimed as if simply being named that way was colossal feat. He made his was in between Sarah and Jareth with impossible speed. Not even the Fairies plaguing the Labyrinth's gardens were that fast.

''I am _as a matter of fact,_'' Ziggy spat. ''The loyal servant and Protector of Lady Stardust! Princess of-''_  
_

''Lady?'' Sarah questioned poking her head from behind Ziggy's back. ''You mean me? But how-?''

Jareth advanced, twisting his hand and creating a crystal that he rapidly threw at Ziggy, who had briefly turned his attention to Sarah. The crystal trapped him; suppossed Protector or not, Jareth had one too many questions to ask.

''Your Majesty?'' Frodrid called from behind.

Jareth gave his most disdainful glare at the cowering group hidden behind a wall. Apparently a blade not even big enough to rid anyone's teeth of leftovers was still very much a blade. ''Well? Are you just going to stand there? We have a guest. Go prepare the chambers adjacent to my own!''

Frodrid did as he was told immediately, running as quickly as his short legs would allow. Jareth turned back to Sarah again, offering her his hand once more and expecting her to ignore the muffled insults aimed at him by the raging creature trapped within his floating crystal. When Sarah accepted that he took her to his castle, Jareth couldn't help but bow his head to hide his smile against the back of her hand, kissing lightly.

* * *

TBC

* * *

First(how did i forget:O?): I own nothing. Credit goes to that wonderful man; Jim Henson. God bless him.

And that's chapter one:) I hope you enjoyed, because i certainly did have a great time while writing this. Now, there's some things i think i should include to my parting Author Notes for the chapter, so imma go a head and create this: _(Boom-boom-bah-boom)_

**Funfacts!:**

I couldn't possibly come up with so many original goblin names on my own! No i couldn't:( But thankfully, you will not have to endure a story filled with poorly thought-out names. I found this nifty 'Goblin Name Generator' site and it's been plenty help.

**Goblin Names:** Since i realized i could use just about any word or name to generate a goblin name, i decided to use the word 'Capable' for the youngster who interrupts Jareth's brooding. He will play bigger roles as the story advances and I'll add some backstory for him too. Because he's adorable in my head and can't get enough of him:D

So that's it; Frodrid means 'Capable'.

**David Bowie: **If you're a fan you'll see the referrences to song titles and albums;D

Much of your doubts about Sarah and why she lost her memory will be mentioned in the next chappy!:D

Until then. Oh and...

Review!:D


	2. Only Half of Me

**Only Half of Me**

* * *

Jareth discovered that Sarah had not lost _everything. _Some primal instincts - very characteristic ones of her - remained intact. She conserved her human perception of what a 'normal' environment consisted of, and his earlier display of magic as well as the surreal - surreal for her - scenery of the Goblin City did not quite fit into that criteria. Again, she had no basis for comparison; it was sheer instinct that guided her foggy mind. And her foggy mind was still wary of everyone and everything around and only the King's unusual politeness was making progress.

Inside Jareth's chamber - because Sarah's was not ready yet -, he had won some of her trust. Reluctantly he handed off to Sarah the crystal Ziggy lay dormant in: Courtesy of a simple but nifty spell Jareth placed inside. That Ziggy _thing_ was too vexatious to the senses and his insistent proclamations of Sarah being a Princess from who-knows-where were not helping to ease anyone's addled minds.

First things first. Jareth took note of her favorite lady's every action and reaction. The Sarah before him; the Sarah haunting his most explicit dreams only resembled a part of the young woman to conquer hardships unnumbered and steal his rationality. It was a gut-wrenching inward voice leering at him that this was not entirely _his_ Sarah and he had earned the predicament of heaving her presence back in body, but only in body. Meanwhile she indulged into odd fascination for her surroundings as her lips moved almost imperceptibly with muted murmurs. Almost of their own accord. Something ringed familiar about her condition and if his suspicions were accurate... Jareth knew a pair of old pig-headed goblins who could help fix his problem.

* * *

_Mumble, mumble, mumble; _as the old rambling goblin's hat would say.

There was an ancient - forgotten - library no one besides Jareth visited on occasion and he found himself in front of its door. Rustling sounds and hissing voices filtered from the inside. They were _never_ quiet.

It had to be done. And that thought pushed Jareth to knock. First he knocked thrice as a form of alert before entering for himself; because they could never remember where the door was placed and waiting for them to open was not a preferable option. Upon entering, Jareth thought that the dusty room never looked the same and it only got dustier. Books literally covered every inch of the floor - It would not agitate that a family of spiders had already built a makeshift Kingdom of their own with knocked shelves, books and spider webs to hold it all up.

''Kahon,'' Jareth called as cordially as his temper allowed at the moment and a wrinkly face poked from behind a desk. _Since when did he grow a mustache? _''Aega?'' He scanned the room only growing more displeased by the shabby conditions of it. Then, a wriggling figure stood out among shadows from behind a half vacant shelf leaning for dear life against a wall. _That old lady and her ominous crystal rubbing. _''Aega, it is me: The Goblin King. Would you mind granting me the gift of your attention?''

The shadowy form stopped moving.

''Child?'' An oxidized female voice drawled slyly.

Jareth groaned aloud. ''_D__on't _call me that. I've been King for centuries now; address me with the respect i deserve.''

''HA!'' Aega leapt savagely into full view. A crazed old lady with a worn obscure dress and shawl and a tinge of mischief in her eyes. ''Calling yourself Goblin King differs little from a title as King of a Pack of Trained Monkeys!''

Any other time His Majesty would have mustered up enough backbone to cross his arms and listen to more of Aega's teasing, but he did have more important matters to tend to this time.

''Elders,'' He intoned seriously. ''I've come to request you lend me your wisdom.''

The absentminded Kahon's sudden oral fixation with the wooden desk's edge diminished and Aega's cheery cackling halted, disbelieving that her stubborn ex-apprentice would ever swallow his pride. Knowing him, that would one day choke him if he ever had a change of heart...

Unlikely.

''Child,'' The old lady shot her half-termite husband a conspiratory look. ''It's been _years_ since you last came by to visit and not once have you openly admitted to needing aid on any of your endeavors.''

Jareth had composure and dignity enough not to roll his eyes.

''Aega,'' Kahon's voice was rusty with age and he spoke at a slug's pace as he spit wood splinters. ''Is that Jareth? How he's grown!''

''Oh, shut it! Don't you see he is about to ask us a favor? Let me savour it!'' She finished gleefully.

Kahon kept mumbling to himself, blissfully oblivious to the other conversation going on at all. ''His pants are tighter. Should get knew ones.'' He nodded.

''Now child,'' Another growl. ''You needn't explain. You insult me by not keeping that paranoid nature of yours. I've been watching''

Jareth blinked, unsure if he should rip anyone's head off just yet. ''And you had the gall to never once suspect i, or the citizens cowering into the castle from a possible trespasser, would need assistance? I'm glad that was not the case then. Your unconcerned stance now must mean you will be making yourself of use?'' He couldn't have been more bitter.

''Watch it kid!'' Aega admonished. ''Don't forget who taught you to mold your first defective crystals. We're still very much your superiors in that aspect!... Well, _i_ am.''

In the background, Kahon started to chew on a pen. ''Since when did he figure out the way so the gravity-defying spell works on his hair all the time?''

The King - again reminding himself that he was above all provocation - decided not to sigh, even with the tempestuous struggle this meeting led to. His old master on the other side had gained back her composure; she was aware how direly the situation weighed on Jareth. He might not have noticed yet, but she knew far better than to trust that cool façade plastered so offensively for her on his face.

''Is that really _the _Sarah, Jareth? The one to-''

''Yes, she is.'' Jareth quickly interrupted. ''And please; it's Your Majesty; no matter how long we've known each other, i rule this land now.''

Aega groaned discontentedly. ''So? You're still a child in _more_ than one way, _Your Majesty_. Don't disrespect someone who has looked after you and the Kingdom for much longer than you could count with a thousand helping hands.''

Jareth contemplated the pair in front of him: both senile, crazier than a bunch of Fieries and the only parental figures he'd ever known. The disheveled lady continued to scowl still indignant, while her equally disarranged husband mirthfully stuffed his mouth with a handful of pencils. The sound of chewing was too annoying for ether Jareth or Aega to keep the icy silence.

Gentler, Jareth began. ''Aega, i'm aware of the debt i've gained with you. However,'' Jareth lowered his tone craftily, just like he'd learned from a certain old lady. ''I'm sure you will not refuse me aid this time. This is not i ask for myself alone, but rather to help my-''

Aega quirked a brow just before he finished.

''To help Sarah.'' He rephrased.

''How noble,'' Her slow movements led her eventually to a pile of books and papers near her husband. She started to rummage, out of habit. ''But really, Jareth, we know how you think. You may truly want to help her, but that's not all there is to it. What will you do if she can't remember? What if she recovers her memory and chooses to leave again?''

A smile almost graced the serious Goblin King's face. ''So you've already made a verdict? You know which spell is blocking her memory.''

''Well, well; you did your homework. True, memories are not something you can just discard inside an oubliette like material stuff. But you're avoiding the question.'' She added flatly.

''I'll answer you if you tell me what you know. _If_ you really know the cause of her memory blockage.''

Aega painfully grimaced. ''Dunno, could be in one of these battered books.''

''I thought you knew each spell ever invented.'' He wouldn't admit it, but some of his own original tricks has been long forgotten due to their uselessness. He did not bother to remember the formula for those - not all magic happened with a twist of hands - but the Elders always catalogued them and memorized them. A waste of brain-power, really.

''Only the ones worth being preserved in one's mind, child.''

''Is the information i seek worth a place in your brain then?'' He pushed.

''Do you think spiders get cold in here?'' Kahon abruptly cut in, which had his wife gritting her teeth.

''You decrepit geezer! Can't you see i was about to start an epic monologue-''

Jareth's eyes widened microscopically. ''Frankly Aega, you two can tear each other's skin off with rusty barbed wire for all i care, _after _you've helped me.''

Crossing her arms, she replied smugly. '' Might take you longer than you planned. You haven't even shown enough interest for that one atypical fellow Ziggy. So confident is he of his purpose yet you - out of hubris or foolishness, whichever - refuse to give his presence the serious approach it merits. Do you even know his race?''

A sharp narrow of eyes stated how displeased Jareth felt for being taunted. ''What do _you_ know of this... Ziggy, then?''

* * *

She stared and stared, unable to discern why the warmth of the King's kiss - barely a press of lips to her skin - would not fade. Bothered she wasn't, and could not say something smelled funny about his courteous offer to let her stay in his castle - _in his_ _room_. But it was a fact that something troubled him. And for some reason, if he was troubled so was she. It was a kind of empathy she felt; an invisible thread compelling her to be near that man, only... not too much.

She wasn't frightened, and leaning against the cool wall near a stuffed bookshelf, she actually felt pretty comfortable; but his - perhaps companionless - resolve to not let Ziggy out of that crystal reflected much of his character. She tried to convince herself that such was a King's manner. But what did she know of him? What did she know of _anything_?

The trapped lady (the door would not open) buried her face on a pillow she'd snatched from the 'Beyond Any Kind of Size' bed, sighed and then inhaled deeply, loving the smell of freshness. There was a subtler scent attached to the fabric; a heady scent that made her heart flutter.

''Sarah...'' She murmured pensively with a slight frown marring her delicate features and looked down at the other pillow beside her. The crystal prison Ziggy lay dormant in sparkled lightly with the stray rays of moonlight filtering through the window in front. ''Lady... Stardust...''

She stood and, pillow still hugged to her chest, made her way around the bed to stand just a few strides from the window. She glowered a the moon. Nothing personal; she just wanted to be mad at someone or something. A single salty drop slid down her cheek, thinking that here she could cry with the moon as her confident and the smooth pillow to absorb the evidence of her grievances.

The warmth would not fade and her face lit up, staring at the spot on her hand Jareth - he insisted she call him that - had kissed. ''Sarah.''

That sounded somewhat right.

* * *

''You are wasting my time Aega.''

It had been nearly half an hour since Aega started just searching for the 'Aerial Creatures' Encyclopedia Collection which consisted of about four hundred volumes, given the fact that it held information of species from all thirty-five divisions of Underground. Mostly his old master had forewarned again and again that he better not dare brain-wash her, because his ostensible evil would not bring him the happiness he wanted. And at that he had no words to requite. The rest of the time they'd been able to make no more than educated guesses over Sarah's physical changes. Those lines under her eyes could only mean that she did acquire magical capabilities at some point. Her anatomy must have had to suffer a thorough transmutation to allow magic to flow into her system as life-force. That wasn't too bad at all. Now she'd live longer, because magic was an ethereal matter far stronger than whatever weak substance sustained life in the Above. It affected time flow as well as one's body.

Everyone living Underground could make use of magic to some extent, but very few - more like only one had been able to master spells and use wizardry pulling magic from inside his own body.

Jareth, of course, had been that one prodigy.

When he obtained that particular ability the marks around his eyes appeared too. Now Sarah had similar looks, but that could just not _be_.

''I could swear it was around.'' Aega uttered, innocently estranged.

That was it. Jareth couldn't sit around and whistle away in the hopes that the old lady found the volume they needed or that Kahon decided to contribute in their search.

''I am officially making this a Royal Task,'' He promptly announced bounteous, making his way back to the door. ''Kahon can help out too, if you can get him to.''

''You don't fool me!'' Aega's head shot up from her sniffing around under a desk. ''I warned you Jareth; let her be, don't intrude in the process. You might damage her head more than it already is.''

''I won't _intrude_. I know how far my magic can go.'' He griped. ''You find what i need; the book of spells and if truly necessary that information on Ziggy the critter. Or else...''

With sigh and a motherly reproving tone, Aega harrumphed. ''Or what? The Bog?''

''Precisely.''

Not long after Jareth left the room, Kahon was back on his feet, leery and accusative.

''You dirty liar,'' He said to Aega. ''You know what happened to the Lady Sarah and who Ziggy is and even where he comes from. Why did you have to fib the child like that?''

''Because!'' His wife replied offended. ''You know what he's like! And it wasn't all lies. What do you think he'd do if i gave him the spell affecting Sarah? The way he is, i bet he'd rid her of all her memories and proselytize her into being his Queen. He _won't _be happy if he gets what he wants.'' Kahon looked at her in a dejected sort of sorrow. ''And wether he likes it or not we were entrusted to look after him.''

''And what now? You know i can't keep secrets, when he's around...'' The old goblin scanned longingly for his pencils.

''That's not a problem. Get the seeing crystal. I think i got an idea and the child is going to hate it so much.'' Aega beamed.

''I don't get this parenting thing. If he hates it then it means it's good for him?''

''Definitely.''

* * *

Sarah still struggled to comprehend how Jareth was able to pop in and out of that crystal in the corner of the room. He didn't literally 'pop' in and out but that's the only way she could describe it. Their reencounter however was short-lived as Frodrid came back with more torrid news.

The day could not have been more hectic for Jareth. At the entrance of the Labyrinth, a monarchical crowd guarded at all sides a man not taller than Jareth, but his status was grandly obvious by his uniform.

''I,'' The man shouted gravely. ''am the King of Looj! And i've come to present my daughter...'' A young maiden with black braided hair stood up at his side. ''As a contestant for the Labyrinth's challenge!''

Thus, Jareth started to believe that an unknown deity loathed him with a vengeance.

* * *

TBC

* * *

Another chappy is done:) Hope you enjoyed. I'm sorry it took too long but i really can't promise regular updates. You know, perfectionist writer stuff. I wrote and re-wrote that last part so many times until finally i decided that making it too detailed was overly flamboyant and that's just why i didn't like it. So i went with the simpler version. I'll explain further in next chapter though. Things get adventurous and it seems everyone wants to make Jareth's existence impossible XD. But you can check on my profile how every chapter is progressing. I got a percentage thingy:).

**Funfactystuff: **

**Goblin names: **I know it will sound a bit too literal when i explain but i just couldn't resist. Again, all original goblin names(most) come from this nifty Goblin Generator site. Kahon means father, since he and his wife are like replacement parental figures for Jareth. And Aega is actually an anagram of Gaea; as in Mother Earth. Was the great goddess of the early Greeks. I just didn't like the other Goblin names for her and i decided to use the word play instead. Because i'm nerdy like that;P and i thought _'Well, it's the same... Gaea being the Mother Earth... Hehe, i'm so clever.' _

Review!


	3. War Games

**War Games**

* * *

''Pardon?'' Inside the privacy of the Goblin King's head he wondered whether it would be considered rude if he summoned a three-headed dragon to swallow his unwelcome visitors whole.

No one uttered a word for the longest two seconds and King Hatid didn't seem like the type to repeat himself. The King of Looj wasn't exactly a dictator, but his land - the militaristic and frigid piece of earth A.K.A 34th Division of Underground - had earned a repute of being unnecessarily hostile. Compared to Looj's long Monarchy of aggressive Mutisyk - equally hostile race -, Jareth's firm reign was actually pretty tame.

The difference between the two Kings was remarkable. Both could be cruel and unforgiving, but when it came down to fashion, Jareth's tailored and snug attire couldn't repel with more sparkly ferocity the box-shaped uniform the color of dry leaves his equal in range carried with the grace of a stone statue. And the proud group from Looj guarding their King dressed all similarly, as if they'd come to invade the city, not to escort a Princess. She too mimicked her father's uniform to some extent, being mindful that a Princess was to show some curvaceous femininity.

Perhaps a day earlier, with less apprehension for possibly marrying a blue-skinned Mutisyk and if he wasn't certain that King Hatid's sole intention was to militarize his Kingdom... No, not even then would he have considered the option. And if memory served him right, he never ordered for a notice to be sent to the Land of Looj.

''I'll start immediately, if you'd grant me access, King Jareth.'' The black-haired, blue-skinned Princess spoke up and there was no kindness in her voice, rather it was a stormless arrogance keeping her voice steady and profound.

Gingerly pinching the bridge of his nose, Jareth attempted to respond non offensively. ''That won't be possible. There has already-''

''King Jareth!'' King Hatid roared. ''You dare _reject_ my daughter?! This means war!''

It was always war with him.

''Let's not jump into hasty action-taking. You misunderstand'' Jareth had a hard time trying not to roll his eyes while rushing the rest of the sentence as his counterpart's twisted facial expression spoke volumes of _'Are you questioning my intellectual capacity?'_. ''I do not intend to insult your family; the Challenge is over. I'm afraid to inform you so, but i have found my Queen.''

There was a collective rustle of hissing voices riding the chilly wind of the night. Jareth noticed how while some Mutisyk appeared crestfallen there was a figure sneaking its way beside King Hatid. The male figure whispered something to the King with an unnerving little smile and a flash of dark eyes behind tinted glasses. Odd that. It didn't seem to fit with the standard Mutisyk ensemble.

''Lies!'' The violent King shouted hoarsely again. ''This means war!''

The group behind roared a battle cry that vibrated all the way through the earth until the petals of wildflowers trembled. Some fell to ground, unresponsive. Jareth watched this as if it were the worst omen he had witnessed. He didn't particularly rejoice at the prospect of war. The word itself was kind of heinous. As a young Prince, back when Aega and Kahon were racking their brains to rebuild the monarchical flow of things, he'd been told brief but inspiring stories about his parents: Two of the most formidable minds to rule over the then nonexistent Goblin Kingdom. They had exhausted their magical capabilities in order to reshape a barren piece of ungodly earth into something wonderful and imposing.

They created the Goblin Kingdom; Labyrinth included.

His parents had not possessed the same ability as him, and so, Jareth despised the idea of a group of muscles-for-brains buffoons setting their dirty feet on their creation. Something they sacrificed themselves for. It was their treasure and Jareth's only tangible memento of those who had given him life and a land to rule and make prosper.

Getting rid of them would be easy. One mildly taxing spell of his and he could _vanish_ them all-

''Hold it!'' The rustling sound of hurrying footsteps and heaving became louder by the second. Actually, Jareth's eardrums felt attacked, because the voice was so familiar and he'd just talked to that crazy couple. ''Apologies... Your Majesties.'' Aega panted, blindly reaching out and grabbing the hem of Jareth's leather jacket, as her abrupt halting made her loose equilibrium.

''_What _is the meaning of this? Dear teacher?'' A disgruntled King Jareth gritted.

''Whew!'' Aega wheezed as Kahon appeared far behind, carrying a book over his head of about twice his weight; which inaccurately equaled to 'Very Heavy'.

''Goblin King, is this deplorable spectacle your feeble attempt to gain time before the invasion?'' King Hatid mocked with his 'impromptu' troupes readying at his back, waiting for a signal.

''There will be none. I have explained myself. Unnecesarily, might i add. I find myself in full right to reject the contestants i please. In this case there shall be no more. My Queen has arrived.''

True to a King's strong verbal forte, Jareth's voice gave away no room for confront. It almost took all conviction from King Hatid to scramble for an excuse and had it not been for Aega's careless commentary, that _would_ have closed the topic.

''Sarah? That's who you mean?''

If only looks could repeatedly stab and mutilate, Jareth thought half heartedly.

His favorite lady's name had won some popularity over the years of gossip that followed her departure. As irony would have it, Underground was not a realm rich in fairy tales, so when Sarah's seemingly impossible feat reached the public ear it was only natural that the population decided to spice the tale up a bit. Jareth was just grateful no one seemed interested in exaggerating things like his final deception to an outlandish devastation and heartbreak...

''King Jareth, pardon my intrusion,'' The Princess - Fishari, was it? - said carefully. ''But is this... Sarah, not the same maiden from a century ago?''

''Would that be of any relevance?'' He responded just a bit too quickly and defensive. He knew what she was getting at. Even if Sarah was a rightful winner, that meant nothing considering the current situation. She had crossed the Labyrinth to get back her baby brother. Which she did.

She had claimed her prize.

Fishari continued, much to her father's pleased smile of triumph. So confident was he. ''Her victory is in the past. This is a new situation; a new prize is to be claimed and she has not gained the privilege of seizing it.''

Why did her mechanical wording make Jareth feel so objectified?

''She's right.'' Aega murmured, elbowing Jareth on the knee.

''So glad to have your support.'' He whispered back.

With an aloof smirk, the King of Looj straightened his uniform. ''I see no more obstacles. If you'd be so kind...'' He gestured to the entrance with a lordly wave.

Aega saw Jareth clasp his gloved hands tightly behind his back, reluctant to comply. That's when she decided that since her husband had had enough time to carry the monstrous book to her side, she might as well intervene. Also, she wanted to see what face her ex-apprentice would pull.

''But of course! Only, there might be one small tiny speck of a detail our King failed to mention.''

A collective arch of brows gave Aega the security she had earned everyone's attention. A small cloud of dust rose up as Kahon let the monstrous book fall so that Aega showed a specific paragraph concerning Jareth's chosen method of convenient betrothal.

''It says in here,'' She read aloud with her index finger trailing across the worn page. ''The official way to proceed... blah, blah, blah... honorable and worthy lineage... yadda, yadda, rubbish... Aha!'' She taped the page energetically. ''After a determined period of time, if the maidens from royal families fail to prove themselves worthy, the privilege of becoming a participant may be transferred and expanded to all willing citizens; including the peasant male and female population.''

Jareth blanched visibly and Aega smiled wickedly. Gaining momentum, she continued to explain that this was an ancient tradition; the Goblin King, however, was not obliged to _marry_ the surfacing victor at the end of The Game. It was a game, truly, if one judged based on the foundations of it. In her colorful depiction, what she called 'The Labyrinth's Crystal Festival' consisted of week-long festivities and a furtive game inside the ever-changing trap. The participants, who could be any, wandered through the Labyrinth in search of eight hidden crystals. Four pairs of shiny blue, red, green and yellow. The difficulty of the task lay in the crystals surreptitiously scurrying and evading any living creature. And whoever collected _all_ four pairs by the end of the allotted time would be granted one wish.

It was quite obvious to Jareth, seeing that familiar tinge in Aega's eyes, that her august backstory picturing what once was a celebrated tradition in the Goblin Kingdom, in reality was a previously schemed **lie**. Her words from their earlier encounter echoed in his mind:_ 'I've been watching.'_

It was no surprise then why the Goblin King turned out to be such a skilled trickster; he learned from the best.

It was unexpected that King Hatid accepted this. It was an impulsive act that led him to include his whole troop in the game too.

In the end Jareth wasn't happy. Not one bit. Aega kept mentally assuring him with evil little glances that it was okay, but how could it? He didn't want to offer them shelter into the castle. It was a risk to let them in, so he hoped that drawing the line would scare the Princess at least, but she calmly accepted the condition so diplomatically that Jareth almost did summon the three-headed dragon to attack the redundantly 'impromptu' camping group. That was another detail setting alarm bells off. They had come prepared for any sort of situation. He settled for giving them a friendly warning.

''If you ever dare invade the Goblin City, beware that first you'd have to get through my trap. Not an easy task.'' King Hatid barely paid attention, placidly inspecting the rising camping site at the entrance. His friend with the tinted glasses was the only one to roam his eyes over the looming castle in the distance. His look lingered on a balcony where an immaculate white figure could be spotted.

Jareth advanced, blocking the view and earning a bemused bemused chuckle from the onlooker. ''You are all warned! My Labyrinth is more dangerous than you think.'' He firmly stated with a grave expression and wished they'd ignore his warning.

* * *

_'Leave it all to me.'_ She'd said.

True, Aega could be as persuasive as Jareth. And as she put it, a few winks and smirks would not do the trick; charming as he thought himself to be.

_'Worked very well the last time, didn't it?'_ She'd said.

It was just unnerving not knowing what all she'd been feeding Sarah's generously vacant mind with. She had to enter the game. She was the only person Jareth would accept and trust to become his Queen. His doubts would be dissipated when and hour later of indistinguishable murmurs she emerged from his chambers with the same crystal protectively cuddled to her chest. If she wasn't completely convinced she could win, she conserved a hopeful radiance illuminating her eyes. He'd promptly gained a self-possessive posture, as if he had not spent half an hour pacing holes on walls and roofs.

''If i win... i could wish to get my memory back... right?'' She asked, not knowing that the Goblin King would be the one to grant it.

Jareth nodded, somewhat reluctant. It wouldn't be his first lie.

Either it was out of motherly concern or simply to keep Jareth and Sarah separate for as long as possible, Aega proceeded to pull Sarah into her new room now that the accommodations had finished.

The King got shooed to ready a fictional game from scratch. It was his responsibility, not only because he was the official mediator, but according to Aega he never stopped to consider the kind of miscreants he could ignorantly invoke.

_'You and your injured pride brought this upon our heads, so fix it!' _She had said.

And the next day, somewhere obscure and deep in the ground, a groggy Hoggle cursed when a pile of Official Announcements ended blocking the principal way out of the oubliette he was in charge of. Imagine his surprise when among the featured names of eager participants the name 'Sarah' stood out.

''What is that blasted Jareth up to now?''

* * *

TBC

* * *

**Goblin language: **Looj (as in Land of Looj) means 'Fury'. Get it? King of Fury, because he's even more pig-headed than Aega and Kahon together. And he's quite moody.

King Hatid: Hatid means 'Stubborn'. Yeah, you get it.

Fishari: Means 'Orchid'. I got the notion that she was kinda arrogant but she was really pretty in an exotic sort of way. I got inspired by the song 'Blue Orchid' by The White Stripes. So now you also know why Mutisyks have blue skin.

Mutisyk (as in Mutisyk race): Means 'Soldier(s)'. Pretty obvious, but that's mah style XP. Everything sounds classier in a different language, and goblin lenguage is foreign enough so it's okay to use obvious words - in my opinion - because no one's gonna know what the heck those words mean until they read my notes:p.

**Moreuselessfunfacts:** _"had had" is the Past Perfect Tense, which means that the action has already occurred.-_ I read that somewhere. Be mindlful that english is NOT my first language so i'm doing my best here. If this is wrong please tell me so because my beta is not that fluent either.

Sorry this chappy took so long...

I love reviewers:)

_(_So review;)_)_


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